Method and apparatus for manufacturing cushions or pads



March 3, 1931. w. o. sKEEN ET Al. 1,794,430

METHOD AND APPARATUS'FQR MANUFACTURING CUSHIONS OR PADS 4 Sheets-Sheet lt; Gb u Nv Q te Filed June 13, 1.929

zaait- 5% MarchV 3, 1931. w, Q v SKEEN E1- AL V1,794,480

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CUSHIONS 0R PADS Filed June 1'3,1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 31mml toit.

tr' a @jv/fee @n M ClLl//oqg fal'o/a/ nomas v 5151# WQWM Marh 3, 1931-w. o. SKI-:EN E'r Al. 1,794,480

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CUSHIONS OR PADS Filed June 13.1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Q lo:

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90 775/2211 #een @A11 u//m/l mvo/(fc5. omas 2 i (g dttozmqt March 3,1931-. w. QSKEEN ETAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING CUSHIONS ORPADS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 13, 1`929 vide' a n'ia'chine'forthe'labove Patented Mar. 3, 1931 WAIiTE-n ofsKaEN-nivn JOHN? W.MCULnou'Hg' orrrihrrn'nnnonn siy THOMAS; oF *cHAgEiI-nivronrlanrogoANhnrj h'ssenonsjjro Apenn' AMERICAN PAD AND' TEXTILE COMrANY, oF'eREENFIELnfoIZIKIo; A" coRPoRATIoN or 'o 'Hro'METHOD'ANDAPPARATUS-F0R=MANU lro'rnierfne'osons onriins Appucationmed/,Julie 18,1929; serial Not 370,648.

This invention relatfesto `a method andfa'pparatus forstnfingavidecasings such 'as those' of Cushions or pads for' vehicl'efseat's".`

An Objectis to provide'jsuch"machine with mea-ns whereby 'uniformityotlcushionor pa d thickness'l'inay be" attained while the; casingsarebeinfgstuffed; l y A i- `n`othe"r,Objectisy toso construct certainmoving` parts of the machinen that their ef- Iiciency wil'lnotjbeimpairedfbyf accumula-V tions of'du-st and lint'.

Another" object of the invention is to proi n l purpose, Which ispracticallyY free of vibration. v y Another object `sA to "providemeansWhereby' 'thepaddin'g material may be insertedfinto therasings in suoliamanner that the resillev ing pad orcushion will carry ane'Xcessotpadding'materia'l inselected portlors'thereof. These and otherobjects'aie'attainedby the means described herein' and disclosed in" theaccompanying drawings, i'nwhifch Y:` D 1 Fig.' llisasideelvatiorialview'otle'ina-- chine ofv invention'shoiving. a partl'yfilledcasingr` orf container inposition thereon.

F 2'is a c'ro'ssisect'ion'allvietv on` line"2#;2 ofFigf v11. V h I Figi3 is cross-sectional v'ietv 'on'line' 343 Figi el' is a' sideelevational-5 vievvvv of a' car-r ri a rern''en'iber tormiirg 'part ofthe' invention. Ei 5 isa'cross-sectionalviewonlinebe ofFiglll. i

Fig. 6 is an isoinetrioviewv', partsbeingf broken fa'way, ofy aldeliveryf'tubefofthedevice.

Fig--7 yis an isometricvviewv offarecip'rocatin g plungen which operatesWithin" the tube'. Figi-8 is a cross-sectional view on -line 8--8 oilFig. 2, showing'l a counterba'lancing device.

Fig, 9 is an end vievv of a modified form ofl the-device shown iii-Figo.l y o The device of this 'invention' is' adapted to receive,` in its4ho'pperl, a 'quantity oftibrous filling* 'material such as cotton,hairorfthe' like 16; From the h'opfp'er,y said`r Irl'ateiia'l isrpushed, bymeans"` of a' Widey reciprocating plunger"comprising-fpusherv'elements finto Wide -baggLlike ca'singor container'18 oneeud' i9 ofL waking-'open fte-permit offinse'rtion orY the"delivery tubefQ-O (Fig. 6): It-f'isto be understoodfthat in initialposition Ifor operai tiongajwide casing is lplaced about the Widetubea20, said-tube' extending thereinto 'for a distance equal ftothelength'of the container.

@pposite sides f of the container jor casing 1)=Which-, by reason ofWeights 23,l tendv to yieldingly urge-*the Vcontainer toWardthemachine-,Eachtimethat'some stufling material iis-,forced into thecontainer by the reciprocating?,plunger, the resistance of the weightsisov-ercome and-the container moves away `fronithe delivery tubeand-along` the table k245 Continued reciprocations of the plunger andinsertions vof padding material causerthe -4container to move outwardlyuntil completel filled, whereupon itfstmanually releasedI rom ,thevclamp devices 2l. The open' end O''fthecontainer is then closedtopreclude escapeofythe padding material.l

Each of the pusher' members 17 is provided, uplonitsj upper face,-\vithafplurality `of rows of I upright' teeth y25, ythe -teeth extending'forwardly soasto g-ripjandcarry'aquantity of pxaddingnjiaterial from theopening 26 in the hopper l5, only upon'forwar'dmovement of the plunger.@The wnumbe'r of pushers required\villdepend;uponthe Widthofthelcontainer to be filled.I The, outermost` pusher-s preterablyfareproif'ided With teeth 27 the side faces of 'which kliefin a` horizontalplane.

' Theseteetharelarger, but V`fewer in number,

thanteethf25. Teeth l27 are adapted to pack thefpadding into thecornersof the containei,

and-to supply; the propenainoun t of padding` material attheedgesthereof. i

VEach pusher 17'y is secured at its rearward end128,to alight-Weightcross head 29 which is adaptedto be rec-iprocated inainanner to be explained'later. `The securing means may be aremovable'bolt 30 extending through cofincidirrg perforatjion'sl in the vpushersvandv cross head.

The` -del'iverytube 29 comprises. casing:

members 31Y` and "3Q/each having' sidef'flanges 33?; whereby -th'ecasing members may vbe joined asshoWn in Fig: 6. The casin'gjnieinbersare adapted to be :spaced from 1one another- Vtol form' the tube in'which the CIK plunger may be reciprocated. Rows of depending teeth 34are secured to the inner face of casing lmember 32, said teeth beingdisposed between the rows of teeth on the pushers i7,- and adapted topreclude thereturn of padding mater'al-brought forward by the plunger.The delivery tube is removably secured to a. bracket 35 of the machine,by means of a 'securing device indicated "at 37. The tube QOeXtendsrearwardly to the openinfr 26 in hopper I5, thereby rendering the teeth25 (Fig. accessibleto the padding niaterial'contained in the hopper. Anagitator 38, comprising a plurality of spaced arms 39, is disposedwithin the hopper 15 and may be rotated by means yof a belt drivenpulley 40 lixed on the agitator shaft. Belt 4l maybe driven by meansof apulley 42 fixed ontlie main shaft 43. A screw 44v on the agi-` tatorshaft serves to convey padding material to the hopper from any suitablesource of supply, net shown. v

r rllhe means for reciprocating the cross head 29 and the plungerattached thereto, com prises a connecting rod 45 one end of which ispivotally secured to the lmid-point of the cross head'as at 46, and theopposite end of which has a bearing 47 on a crank 4S. Crank 48 consistsof a pair ofV arms 49 and 50, arm 50 being fixed at approximately its'midpoint, to the end of main shaft- 43. The arm 49 is likewise fixed, inthe same manner, to a stud shaft 5l disposed in axial alignment withshaft 43 and rotatably supported in a bearing 52 on the Yframe of themachine. Bearings 53 serve to rotatably'support the shaft 43. y

Means are provided for reducing vibration resulting from thereciprocatory niotion'of vcross head 29.A Said Vvmeans comprises theweights 54 and 55 bolted or otherwise iixedly secured to the free endsof arms 49 and. 5l), respectively. llleight 54 f is disposed,substantially, von one side of a line drawn thron gli the axes ofmembers 43 rand 47 (Fig. S) tially, on the opposite side of said line.YThe rotation of shaft 43 is conn(cr-clockwise,

wherefore it will readily be understood that gravit-ation of the weightsfromthe position shown in Fig. 8 will assist in producing forwardmovement of the plunger through one half of the forward plunger stroke;the remaining half ofsaid forward stroke will be retarded by thesucceeding upward movement of the weights.n As a consequence of thisarrangement, the firstv half of therearward plunger stroke'will beresisted by the weights,v and the second half of said stroke will beassistedthereby. This arrangement of reciprocatory parts.

As shown in Figs-1 and 2, theciank shaft while weight ofisdisposed'substanfA 43 may be rotated by means of a driven belt 56contacting a pulley fixed to the crank shaft. Said belt is adapted to beautomatically shifted over to an idler pulley 57, loosely mounted uponthe crank shaft, at the termination of each container stuffingoperation. IThe means for automatically shifting the belt comprises.ari'ns 58 adapted to contact oppo site sides ofthe belt, said arms beingfixedly mounted upon a shiftable bar 59 suitably supported upon theframe of the machine. Gne

end of said bar is pivoted, as at 60, to a lever 6l suitably secured toa longitudinal rockable shaft 62 also movable in bearings on the frame.A shaft 63 is arranged to rock with shaft 62 by reason of the arm andlink connection 64. A weight G5, hanging from a cable G6 the free end ofwhich is secured to an upright arm 67 on shaft 63, serves to constantlyurge the shaft! 63 into rotation such as would, in the absence ofa'restraining means to be described, cause the belt shifting mechanismto keep the belt upon the idler pulley 57. The restraining means 68,however, serves to maintain the driving relation shownin Fig. 2.Mechanism 68 coniprises a bar 69 pivoted at 70 and disposed above andtransversely of shaft 63. Anotch 7l inthe bar is adapted toreceive theupper end of, an arm 7 2 which is fixed on shaft 63. Engagement of thelever and notch serve to preclude rotation of the shaft 63 under theinfluencent' weight Vheii, however, the leverGQ israised `by moving thebell crank 73', which is linked CO the lever at 74, the notch isdisassociated from arm 72 thereby releasin said arm for shiftingl ofthe. belt to neutral position, A The bell'crank 7 3 is connected tothe'carriageQQ, previously referred to, in a manner to` bev described.hereinafter. Foot pedal 75, connected by means of a strap or `the liketoanarm 7670311 the rockableshaft G3,

provides a means whereby the operator manually shifts the belt 56forsetting the machine in operation. foregoing that the `machine is setin operation by manually operated moans, and vstopped by'au'tomaticmeans.

As started before, a .wide casing 18, to be stuffed, initially isslipped over, or envelopes,

the wide vdelivery tubeQO. The open end ofv container V13.` 'lVithth'evvarious parts in` the foregoing positiomthe clamps :2l are Itshould be clear from the,

manually. actuated fon: gripping; opposite sides of the container.;v c

A. detaileddescription of carriage: 22 Will now be given.- yThec'arriagefcomprises-a pair of; spacedplates: 78anda79 'betweenf whichare rotatably supportedfazpair loigroovfedfwheels 8O.'l Wheels-89 are'adapted? to ridefalonga round rod or track 81, oneend of Whichlis Bred:to the machine as shown in Fig4 l, and the Y oppositeKA end of.k whichis secured? to.` the stationary tablell;A A; third' grooved Wheel 82serves to precluderelnoval ot the carriage trom the-f track. The' lower`por-tonsfottlie plates T8-7 9 have connected thereto? the Weight" 83which serves to bal-ance' the carriage', retaining itiir an uprightpositionon the track; The'uppe'rf portionsfoffsaidplates areL held invspaced` relationJ meansof: a channel member 8411 riveted onother'vvisefixedl' 'v secured2 tolsaid" upper portions of, the plates as showninjFligs'. 4 and Integra-l with the channel member; and extending'therefrom, are rthe v inclined. members 85 each' of 'Whiclicarriesfascraping orrubbing'means S6, which latter* are adapted to`Contact the' tra ckand remove 'therefrom 'any lint or other foreignmatemalwliich .would interfere with tree mo'vementot the; carriagegl,

An upright'pmember"87, which is tiXed'on channel 84,. asrshown, providesameans for. supportingthe"clampdevice 21; c It should beclear,'fromthedrawings, that the pivoted cla mp j aw 88v is vspringlurged`t0vvardstation-lA ary jaw 89.' 'plhevjcablindicatedyat 90`con,nects the carriagey With-the bell crank 7,3falsfis shown in Figs.v land2.1 The cableis ofsuch,

length that itwill b'edrawn taut, and'ftlereby. actuate the.bellCrankupQn :predetermined forward movement Vofthe; carriage.` It,Will

be understood that'actuationfotthebellcrank will, voccur upon completionofi the'. stulin'gL operation. whereupon, the belt shifter Willv operateto renderrtlie,machineinoperative:v

l Meansis provided,v for praecludingsthc. tormatlonot` humps which,because of' its Width, tend to` formin the pad;during,y the studyingoperationf. Said]y means comprises a 4presser foot., 91.liavingcaiiatunder. vsurface container 18 Whle-theplungers are inopera-.5,Whichyslot is adapted toireceiveathreaded y bolt 96providedwith:arthumbinutf *Bolti- 9G"- passes' through; anfarirhy 98Whi'chfpispivf'v otallymounted, yas at 100 juponfanyf suitable;vsupporty 99. An' i uprightzlOl on-the. :support` carriesatv itsl'uppenffend1a'zgrooved 'Wheel l1 1021;; g ove-rf which' passes farsuitable cazblef.. 103 one:

end f of Whiclisupports a: Weight 104,t andf the` other endl, 105#y ofWfhiolr is attached toi the memh'enf 94; Thel Weight 104-fissufficiently heavy to frelieve tb er con t-ainen ofil a'f c0nsiderableportion: ofthe f Weight v ofy the smooth ing. dev-ice. When it'V isdesiredftoy remove the stuffed container from: thev machine, thesmoothing dev-icev may' be placed in: acon` ve'nientfj positionby?mov-ing itP upwardly about its pivot 10th' c InI F ig; 9r is shownameansywliereby a cushion may be stuifedfso uas l to make-'itthick along;one; SideA and relatively thinner along the opposite side; Thisisaccomplished -bye providi'n'g-y the machine with ypushers 170 .theteeth, 250 ot': whichy arev graduatedy inl length: Thev cooperativeteeth340101@ the.u upper* casingememberare correspondingly altered in length,and the upper casing memberfis sup;- ported uponthe lowercasing--niembery at an angle `thereto,k asf's-hownf Itfisfreallilj,7evidenti' that thelargerv orllonger; teet-hftoftho, right of thetub'ewill eonveyv-moreillingma?V tei-iai AVt-halnltlie s-i-nalleln teetli-`ajtythel opposite side.-` lVfheur using, this, tube andi plunger'-justed, ,b vf'1neans-ot-bolt595g to v,accommodate ythe resultant slopingtop; surface otwth'etv n stuliing, mater-ial-tromfthe lioppe-ran dcari-vi ity Vinto the gtube-.- a Asexplained L.betorc, the depending'teeth in -the tube fprecludereturn ot saidy material to `thehopper upon@rearwa rd movcme'ntot" thcf1p),lunger. It isto bei-noted the tube inthe form .ot ra:-seriesotr-longitude nal, .transverse,.tlatribbons-setionedge: The ind ividualv ribbons .are formed, iapparenti)ibecause ottliefrspaces between tlieiteethfon the plunger andtube. These' ribbons rare ejected, by the endsoff'thfe p ushers, in-anup right position Wit-li 'the lower longitudinal edges thereof?l restingon the extension 93.", As'these ribbons 4are torce-d, .one 'by one,into' the 'container-18,1 the container moves4 out1` Wardly along thetablelQ, tc'arri-ying"with:itV the Weightl retarded?carriages-22- Y It`should be v cle-arly` apparenti. that-1 byi increasing the Weights 23;outward movementot :the con tainer. 18 'will be? resistedproportionally# It? follows, therefore; that; their-il'li-n .y materialarrangement, the-smoothinzgg'-*device91:isada llt) thati; tbe stuffing:(material isf; delivered@` lt'ronr will compactiitself'proportionallyain:orderfto 1u f table for supporting the container, and inovcauseyoutward Vmovement of the container, which results in the production ofaheavier pador cushion. The smoothing device 91, resting on the pad orcushion at afpoint adjacent to the discharge end-fof tube. 20, co-

operates Witlrthe Wide plunger in preventing the format-ion of humps andirregularities in the cushion and assures the formation of standardizedand uniform cushions. The

pad is released from the clamps 21, as soonV the filling operation isvterminated by the automatically operatedbelt shifter.

f It is to be understood that, although a preferred form ofthe inventionis illustrated and described herein, various modifications and changesin structural details falling Within the scope of the appended claims,may be made Withoutl departing from the spirit of the invention. r

That is claimed is: l Y l. In a machine for inserting padding materialintocasings, the combination of a hop perhaving an opening therein, saidhopperV beingarranged to receive quantities of padding material,areciprocable plunger comprising teeth arranged to move in proximitywith the opening in the hopper and to remove comprising`pushers-of'v'arious capacities for removingl from the opening in thehopper dilferent'quantities of padding materiahand a delivery means, forcommunication with a casing to-be filled, for receiving `'the paddingmaterial from thexpluiiger and delivering' said padding materialiii-various quantities to selected portions of the'casing.

3; .The combination vvithY means for insert ing padding material into acontainer', of `a able pressure means comprising a pivoted army andapresser footon the arn'i, the presser foot being adjustable relative tothe arm and to the table for forming va restricted passage through`Whichthe container mayrpass dnring` the inserting operation. y y Y 4.The combination with means for inserting ribbons Y.of paddingmaterialdisposed on edge, into a casing, of a table for supporting` the casing,`anda. 'presser foot disposed in a spaced .relation with the table andarranged to .normally applypressurelupon the edges lrif/fellatio o.ne'combination withA means for inserting paddinginaterial into a casing,of a table for supporting thev casing, and a presser foot disposed inspaced relation with the table and normally contacting the. casingduring the inserting operation. y i

6.1n combination, a means for consecutively inserting into a casingindividual ribbons of padding material set on edge, and positive meansfor retaining said ribbons in said position in the casing. during theinsertingoperation.

i'. In combination, a means for inserting a series of ribbons of paddingmaterial into a casing,in parallelism and on edge, and means forprecluding displacement of said ribbons in the casing during theinserting operation.

8. In a device ofthe class described the Vcombination ofa hopperarranged to receive quantities of padding material, reciprocable plungermeans for successively removing quantities of padding material from thehopper, a stationarydelivery tubefor receivingl ther? padding` materialfrom the plunger nieans said tube being arrangedfor insertion into'acasing to be filled `with padding material, a table for supporting thecasingl durin the filling operation, a. carri-age and a track therefordisposed on^-opposite sidesV of the table,'means oneach carriagevforclamping engagement upon the casing,and means on each carriage for.vremoving accumulations of foreign substances from the tracks.

.9. 'Iii afdeviceof the class described, thel combination of a containerretarding means comprising a longitudinal track extending inthedirection of movement of the container, a carriage on the track, a clampdevice on the carriage for. attachment to a container, means yieldinglyurging thev carriage in lone direction of movementalong the tiaclnandnieans on the carriagefor,removing :if-- (annulations of foreignsubstances from the track. i I v `1O..In a device of the class describedthe combination vvith` a moving container, of a container retardingmeans comprising a longitudinal track extending in thev direction ofmovement of the container, a carriage comprising Wheels resting upon thetrack, means yieldingly urging the carriage along the track, a clampmeans on the carriage for rcmovably securing the container thereto, andmeans extendingv beyondthe carriage and contacting the 'track forremoving accumulated fereign substance therefrom.

11.y A carriage for movement along anV elevated track, comprising -apair of spaced body members, a pairof Wheels Yarranged to rest upon thetrack, Vsaid Wheels being 'dis-n posed for free rotation `between thebod members, a third Wheel freelyrv rotatable relative-to .the bodymembers and disposed below the track in proximity therewith, an upperportion and a lower portion on the carriage, a clamp device on `theupper portion and a balance weight on the lower portion, means extendingfrom the carriage in opposite directions and beyond the first mentionedwheels for contactingthe track and removk ing accumulated foreignsubstance therefrom upon movement of the carriage along the track.

^ 12. The method of manufacturing cushion a pads, consisting ofinserting into an open end of a bag like casing a padding materialdelivery tube having an elongated mouth, forcing padding materialthrough the tube and intoy the closed end of the casing there-V bymoving the casingaway from the tube, and confining the sides of thefilled portion of the casing to preclude bulging of the sides of thecasing. Y

13. The method of manufacturing cushion pads, consisting of insertinginto an open end of a bag-like casing a padding material delivery tubehaving an elongated mouth, i' forcing individual upright ribbons ofpadding through the tube and intol the closed end of thecasing therebyproducing relative movement of the casing and tube, and applyingpressure to opposite edges of the said ribbons to preclude spreadingthereof during the filling operation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my naine this L1th dayVof June, 1929.

HAROLD S. THOMAS.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 28thday of May,

lVALTER O. SKEEN.

JOI-IN W. MGCULLOUGH(

